Finding a Place to Write

It’s interesting to see where writers write from. Faulkner had a simple setup on a small desk with his typewriter, tobacco and a window to gaze out of. It’s hard to believe such a tiny desk was responsible for so many great works. I guess it comes down to finding a place where the writer feels physically at ease while their mind travels great lengths.Tolstoy had a similar size desk but had quite a bit of clutter in his study. I would have a hard time concentrating in here. It feels a bit claustrophobic. Maybe he felt he was surrounded by everything he loved all packed into one little room.Jane Austen had the most Spartan setup of the bunch. I imagine you’d want to have a good idea of what you wanted to write before you sat down in that chair; I wouldn’t call her setup comfortable. Maybe for her, being from such a large family, it was just a luxury to have her very own spot to write.

I’m not setting out to write a book in the same league as these writers, but I’d still love a place to write. So far I’ve just written from wherever I happen to be whether it’s the couch, the kitchen table, a local cafe or sometimes like Marcel Proust, in bed. I’ve never had a proper writing desk before, so this week I’ve been on a quest to find one. I would say the desk found me. The first desk I sort of liked was a no-go because the store owner flatly, rudely and definitively refused to sell it (even though it had a price tag on it).

It turned out to be divine intervention because the next place I went to I found my desk. I hadn’t planned to go there but my husband wanted to look at a Hans Wegner chair so we made the trip. It may sound strange to have such a strong reaction to a desk, but it sucked me in like a vortex the second I laid eyes on it. It was more perfect than I could have imagined. It’s a beautiful mid-century modern Danish desk made from rosewood with a bookshelf built into the front of the desk. We bought it from our new favorite store in Denver called Zeitgeist, home to a gorgeous array of modern furniture and art.Not only did we find the perfect desk, but I totally dig that the desk has been Randy’s own desk for the last 10 years. Randy is just a cool guy. You’ll get no disinterested Design Within Reach demeanor from him. He loves Modernism and wants any and everybody to have the chance to love it too.

I knew I wanted a desk that had a little history to it. Randy built his business from that desk, a business he’s been lovingly been in for 38 years. He was willing to part with it because he recently acquired a desk he’s been trying to get his hands on for 20 years.

Before Randy, the desk was owned by a Danish architect who lived in Boulder. Apparently he had come to work in Boulder and fell in love with a woman who lived there, eventually moving there for good.

Now the desk is making its way back to Boulder. I hope to continue to be an interesting part of its history. One thing is for sure. It’s a place that inspires me to sit and write from.

§ One Response to Finding a Place to Write

The desk is beautiful and the history gives me goosebumps! I’m sure nothing but greatness will be created at this desk! I’ll have to go check out this store. Sounds like the kind of place I would want to patronize. 🙂